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Meeting Summary

Virginia Board of Education
Meeting Summary

February 19, 2009

Proposed Revisions to the Regulations Establishing Standards for
Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8 VAC 20-131-5 et seq.)
The Board of Education approved the regulations as amended and authorized staff of the Department of Education to proceed with the remaining steps required by the Administrative Process Act. The following regulation changes will not go into effect until 2010-2011:
• 8 VAC 20-131-50. Requirements for Graduation:
• One credit in economics and personal finance would be required for the Standard, Standard Technical, Advanced Studies, and Advanced Technical Diplomas.
• Additional graduation requirements would become effective with the ninth-grade class of 2010-2011.
• 8 VAC 20-131-60. Transfer Students:
• Credits earned through Virtual Virginia, the online program, would be accepted in Virginia public schools.
• 8 VAC 20-131-140. College preparation programs and opportunities for postsecondary credit:
• The Academic Career Plan would become effective with seventh graders in 2010-2011.
• The development timeline is extended throughout the student’s seventh-grade year with
completion required by the fall of the eighth-grade year.
• The Board of Education will establish guidelines for development of the Plan.
• Any personal academic and career plans prescribed by local school boards for students in grades 7-12 that are currently in effect would be approved to continue without further action by the Board.
• 8 VAC 20-131-280. Expectations for school accountability and 8 VAC 20-131-300. Application of the standards:
• The Graduation and Completion Index points required for full accreditation would be increased from 80 to 85 percentage points.
• The points assigned for the certificate of completion is reduced from 60 to 25 points.
• Use of the Graduation and Completion Index for high school accreditation purposes would be delayed by one year with a five-year phase-in as originally proposed. The first year a school could be Provisionally Accredited or Accredited with Warning due solely to the graduation and completion index is the 2010-2011 academic year (2011-2012 accreditation year).
• The accreditation pass rates in effect for the 2008-2009 academic year will remain in effect through the 2009-2010 academic year.

First Review of a Request for Approval of an Alternative Accreditation Plan from
Fairfax County Public Schools for the Key Center
The Board of Education approved the alternative accreditation plan from Fairfax County Public Schools for the Key Center. For each content area of the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP), student scores must average at least 70 points to achieve Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) accreditation for the identified content area. If a score of 70 is not achieved, the following accreditation adjustments will be applied:
• Student scores will be excluded from the accreditation rating calculation based on the
adjustments allowed by current policy determined by the VDOE.
• Scores for students who are not in attendance for 75 percent of the total number of
instructional days during which evidence is being collected for the VAAP will be excluded from the accreditation rating calculation. This period of time is generally from the first day of school until May 1, which is approximately 150 days. Thus, students must be present for at least 112 days (75 percent) of instruction from the start of the school year to May 1 for their scores to be included.

The final step in implementing the alternative accreditation plan will be to determine a
composite average by averaging the “final” scores of all areas assessed. Three points will be added to the composite score for successful achievement of each of the following Achievement Indicators:
• 75 percent of all students will participate in the vocational training program over
opportunities per week to develop and reinforce skills. Data will be collected via teachers
and submitted monthly (October through April data).
• 90 percent of all students who are present on days for scheduled travel will participate in monthly Community-Based Instruction with appropriate or successful interactions over
monthly probes.
• 75 percent of all students will utilize a personalized communication system over weekly
trials. Data will be collected via teachers and submitted monthly (October through April
data).

First Review of a Request for Approval of an Alternative Accreditation Plan from
Fairfax County Public Schools for the Kilmer Center
The Board approved the alternative accreditation plan from Fairfax County Public Schools for the Kilmer Center. All Kilmer Center students will participate in the VAAP for the purpose of determining progress and meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. To determine the state’s accreditation rating, scores from the VAAP will be the first measure used, as well as consideration of alternative criteria based upon data from the VAAP and other measures of student progress. If pass rates on the VAAP meet the regular accreditation criteria for Standard 8 VAC 20-131-280, then
no adjustment is necessary. If a core academic area fails to meet accreditation standards, then the following alternative system will be used:
For each content area of the VAAP, student scores must average at least 70 points to achieve VDOE accreditation for the identified content area. If a score of 70 is not achieved, the following accreditation adjustments will be applied:
• Student scores will be excluded from the accreditation rating calculation based on the
adjustments allowed by current policy determined by VDOE.
• Scores for students who are not in attendance for 75 percent of the total number of instructional days during which evidence is being collected for the VAAP will be excluded from the accreditation rating calculation. This period of time is generally from the first day of school until May 1, which is approximately 150 days. Thus, students must be present for at least 112 days (75 percent) of instruction from the start of the school year to May 1 for their scores to be included.
• Scores for each content area will be assigned a certain number of points, based on the “cut score” from VAAP for that content area. Scores for students at all grade levels tested will be combined for a composite score for each content area (because of the small pool of students at each grade level). A composite average will be determined by averaging the “final” scores of all areas assessed. The composite score from all areas assessed must be at least 70 points to achieve VDOE accreditation. If the composite score is not at least 70, additional accreditation adjustments will be applied:
• Three points will be added to the composite score for each student who transitions from the Kilmer Center to a special education placement in a less restrictive educational setting.
• Three points will be added to the composite score for successful achievement of each of the following Achievement Indicators from the Kilmer Center School Improvement Plan (FCPS):
- 75 percent of all students who use technology to access the curriculum, communicate, or for other purposes, will average at least three opportunities per day to practice their skills. Data on each student will be submitted monthly (October through April data).
- 90 percent of the students, who are present at school on the days that they are scheduled to travel, will travel once a month into the community as indicated on the CBI travel survey (October through April data).

Proposed Revised Mathematics Standards of Learning
The Board adopted the Mathematics Standards of Learning that included the following major elements:
• Edits to enhance clarity, specificity, rigor, alignment of skills and content, and a
reflection of the current academic research and practice;
• Emphasis on vertical alignment in grades K-7 to prepare students for Algebra I;
• Increased alignment of Algebra I and Algebra II; and
• Increase of focus at each grade level.

Process for State Adoption of Textbooks and Instructional Materials for K-12 History and Social Science
The Board of Education granted approval for the Department of Education to proceed with the adoption of K-12 history and social science textbooks and instructional materials. School divisions will have the option of adopting K-12 history and social science textbooks and instructional materials for students.

Recommendation of the Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure to Grant Approval to Requests to Add New Endorsement Programs at Norfolk State University and Virginia State University
The Board of Education approved the Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure’s recommendation to grant “Conditional Approval” for the new endorsement programs, Mathematics Specialist for Elementary and Middle Education, at Norfolk State University and Virginia State University.

Reports
The Board received a report from the members of the Student Advisory Committee that included a broad range of issues and concerns for students in the public schools across the state as well as a report regarding the status of various bills before the General Assembly.